In a pulsating encounter at the Crown Oil Arena, Rochdale snatched a dramatic late victory against Southend United, securing a 2-1 win that will be etched in the memories of the home faithful. The match, a thrilling spectacle of attacking football, saw fortunes swing wildly before Harvey Gilmour’s injury-time heroics sealed the points for the Dale.
The Shrimpers drew first blood in the 40th minute. A well-worked move saw James Morton play a crucial pass to Gus Scott-Morriss, who made no mistake in finding the back of the net to put Southend United ahead. The visitors’ lead, however, was short-lived. Just four minutes later, Rochdale found an equaliser. Tobi Adebayo-Rowling delivered a precise assist to Kyron Gordon, who duly dispatched his chance to level the scores at 1-1 heading into the interval.
The second half began with both sides probing for an advantage. Rochdale’s manager, Jimmy McNulty, opted for a tactical reshuffle in the 56th minute, introducing Emmanuel Dieseruvwe in place of Ian Henderson, signalling an intent to bolster their attacking threat. Southend United responded with their own substitution, bringing on Tom Hopper for Slavi Spasov. The Shrimpers also sought to add fresh legs in midfield with Keenan Appiah-Forson replacing Leon Chambers-Parillon in the 57th minute.
The game remained finely balanced, with neither side able to break the deadlock for a considerable period. Rochdale continued to press, making further substitutions in the 72nd minute, bringing on Casey Pettit and Tarryn Allarakhia, as they pushed for a winner. Southend United also made a change, with Ben Goodliffe entering the fray for Joe Gubbins, and Tom Hopper being replaced by Josh Walker upfront.
As the clock ticked towards full-time, it appeared the spoils would be shared. However, Rochdale had other ideas. In the 88th minute, substitute Joe Pritchard provided a crucial assist, and in the dying moments of the game, Harvey Gilmour found the decisive goal, sending the Crown Oil Arena into raptures. The late drama was compounded by a yellow card for Rochdale’s Kyron Gordon in the 96th minute for a foul.
This hard-fought victory sees Rochdale continue their impressive form. Pre-match, they occupied second place in the English National League standings with 61 points from 25 games, having won 20 and lost just four. The win against Southend United, their fifth in a row and extending a scoring streak to 12 matches, moves them to the top of the table with 64 points, leapfrogging their rivals and cementing their promotion aspirations. Southend United, meanwhile, remain in eighth place with 46 points, having played 27 games, their recent winless streak of two matches impacting their progress.
